Apparatus for massage treatment.



H. E. McLAlN.

APPARATUS FOR MASSAGE TREATMENT. APPLICATION msn MAY 1.1911.

1,234,700, Patented July 24,1917'.l

INVENTOR UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

HARRY E. MCLAIN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TOWILLIAM BROAD, 0F BEAVER FALLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR MASSAGE TREATMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 1917.

Application led May 1, 1917. Serial No. 165,681.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY E. MCLAIN, residing at Pittsburgh, in thecounty of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the UnitedStates, have invented or discovered certain newV and useful Improvementsin Apparatus for Massage Treatment, of which improvements thefollowingis a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for giving massage treatment to arelatively large portion of the body, as for the reduction of obesity,relief of rheumatism, etc.

In giving such treatments the most benefit is derived when the portionof the body being treated is heated, a result which cannot be obtainedby the apparatus usually employed for the purpose, because in suchapparatus the massaging movements VareV effected by various forms ofmembers which are operated manually or y by mechanical power.

It is accordingly the object of my invention to provide a massagingapparatus which will simultaneously massage, and locally heat, theportion of the body being treated.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, which form part of myspecication, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of myinvention. Figure l is a plan view of the apparatus embodied in a belt;Fig. 2 a face view of a portion of the apparatus, the plane of viewbeing indicated by the line II-II, Fig. l; Fig. 3 a face view oftheapparatus embodied in a pad; Fig. A a sectional view of a massagevibrator forming a part of the apparatus, the plane of view beingindicated by the line IV-IV, Fig. 5; and Fig. 5 a sectional view takenon the line V-V, Fig. A.

In the practice of my invention I mount upon a belt, pad, or othersuitable flexible support, a plurality of electro-magnetic massagevibrators adapted to vibrate in directions perpendicular to suchsupport.` By electro-magnetic massage vibrator, I mean that type ofvibrators wherein the vibration of the movable member is eifected bymeans of an electro-magnet contained in the vibrator casing and adaptedto be intermittently energized by an alternating current or a rapidlyinterrupted direct current. In operation, the electro-magnets of suchvibrators become heated and thus aiord, at the point of application ofthe massage treatment', the desired local heating of the patient.

While any desired form of electro-magnetic massage vibrator may be used,I preferably use the form illustrated herein, which is compact inconstruction, lightV in weight, and otherwise well adapted for thisparticular use. As shown in Figs. 4; and 5, the vibrator comprises ashallow disk-shaped casinghaving a back or bottom l, side wall 2 and aface or cover 3. The electro-magnet, which preferably consists of twospools l and a laminated core 5, is secured to the back l in suchposition that the axis of its windings are parallel to such back. Themovable element or member of the vibrator is a portion of the cover 3which is made of resilient 'metal The vibrating portion is set apartfrom the cover by means of a slit 6 which is preferably substantiallysemicircular in shape and extent. At the outer end of this vibratingportion there is attached an armature 7 which projects downwardly fromthe cover to a position adjacent to the end of the magnet. In operation,the intermittent energization of the magnet has the effect of rapidlyvibrating the slit portion of the cover.

In the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a series of electro-magneticvibrators of the character just described are shown attached to a belt8, as by means of suitable fastening clips 9 secured to the bindingposts 10 of the vibrators, the bases of the vibrators being adjacent tothe inner face of the belt, and the faces lying substantially in acommon plane. If desired, the belt may be provided with a suitable flap1A of cloth 0r other thin material to cover the otherwise exposed facesof the vibrators. As indicated, the several vibrators are electricallypending upon the particular or specific requirements.

According to the provisions of the patent statute, I have described theprinciple and operation of my invention, together with the constructionwhich I no7 consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However,I desire to have it understood that the construction is onlyillustrative, and that my invention may be practised by other forms ofconstruction than that particularly shown and described.

I claim as my invention: v

1. An apparatus for giving massage treatment comprising aleXiblesuppoi-ting ineinber and a plurality of electro-magnetic massagevibrators secured thereto and having their vibrating eleinents lyingsubstantially in a connnon plane, said vibrators beingY adapted tosimultaneously massage and heat the portion of the body to which theapparatus is applied.

p 2. In an apparatus for giving massage treatment, the' combination ota' flexible belt, and a plurality of electro-magnetic massage vibratorssecured thereto, said vibrators having oppositely disposed substantiallyflat bases Yand vibrating faces, the bases being adjacent to said beltand the vibrating" faces lying' substantially in a common plane.

In testimony vvhereotl I have hereunto set niy hand.

HARRY E. MCLAIN.

Wtnesses: y

IAnn N. CR'jroIiLovv, FRANCIS J. Terrasson.

